经济学人504:证券化 重新启动

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　　社论

　　Securitisation

　　证券化

　　It's back

　　重新启动

　　Once a cause of the financial world's problems, securitisation is now part of the solution

　　证券化曾经是导致金融危机的因素之一，如今却能帮助解决金融难题

　　GIVEN their role in the 2008 meltdown, and their subsequent branding as toxic¹ sludge, it is not surprising that securitised financial products have had a quiet few years.

　　鉴于2008年经济危机时所扮演的角色，以及随后被贴上的有毒污泥的标签，证券化金融产品这几年的表现并不出乎人的意料。

　　Yet the transformation² of mortgages, credit-card debt and other recurring³ cashflows into new marketable securities is enjoying something of a resurgence⁴.

　　然而抵押贷款、信用卡债务和其他一些循环的现金流向新的可交易证券的转变目前正在振兴。

　　Once apparently⁵ destined⁶ for the financial history books, the alphabet soup of ABSs, MBSs, CLOs and others had a bumper⁷ year in 2013. More growth is expected this year.

　　尽管曾经有过惨痛的经历，但是资产担保证券、抵押贷款证券和贷款抵押债券以及其他许多以字母简称命名的证券在2013年却大获丰收。据预测，今年还会继续增长。

　　Not everybody is thrilled.

　　并不是所有人都对此满心欢喜。

　　Some observers argue that the risks securitisation poses are too grave.

　　一些观察家称证券化带来的风险会非常严重。

　　But its revival⁸ should be welcomed, for it is probably essential to continued economic recovery, particularly in Europe.

　　但是尽管如此,重新启动证券化还是众望所归，因为这对于经济的进一步复苏很可能是必需的，尤其是对于欧洲国家而言。

　　Use carefully

　　谨慎实行

　　In its simplest form, securitisation is straightforward⁹ and beneficial.

　　单纯来看，证券化比较直截了当并且有着诸多优势。

　　For example, a carmaker expecting lots of monthly payments from customers who have taken out financing can get investors¹⁰ to fund its business more cheaply by selling them its claim to those payments.

　　例如，那些每个月从办理了汽车贷款的消费者那里获得贷款支付的汽车制造商可以通过变卖这些款项的债权而让投资者以更低的代价进行投资。

　　A bank on the receiving end of mortgage repayments¹¹ or credit-card receivables can do something similar: bundle the loans up and sell them, or use them as collateral¹² to get funding, which it can then use to issue more loans.

　　按揭还款或者信用卡应收账款的收款银行可以效仿此番做法：将贷款集中起来卖掉，或者把他们当作抵押款使用以获得投资资金，这样一来，他们就能继续放贷。

　　This boosts both credit and growth.

　　这样不仅能够提升信用还能够促进经济增长。

　　Used recklessly, though, securitisation can be dangerous.

　　然而一旦使用不慎，证券化也会带来危险。

　　It fuelled the catastrophic boom in American subprime mortgages.

　　之前，它曾刺激了美国次级抵押贷款的繁荣增长，但其影响随后被证明是灾难性的。

　　Some banks, aware that home loans would be sliced, diced¹³, repackaged and sold on, gave up even cursory¹⁴ checks on their borrowers' creditworthiness.

　　部分银行意识到住房贷款将会被分解、重组和转卖，因而对贷款者信誉哪怕是最粗略的核查都放弃了。

　　Investors piled in blindly, snapping up supposedly safe tranches of bundled-up debt that proved to be anything but.

　　投资者们纷纷盲目涌入投资，抢购那批所谓的安全捆绑资金，但事实上这些资金并不如想象中那么优良。

　　The boom turned to bust¹⁵ and bail-outs.

　　这股投资热潮进而转向诸多破产，市场急需解救措施。

　　Yet structured finance cannot bear sole responsibility for the crisis.

　　然而结构化的金融业并不是经济危机的唯一祸根。

　　It was more the conduit for irrational¹⁶ financial exuberance¹⁷ than its cause.

　　与其说它是经济危机的根源不如说是它助了金融业的非理性繁荣一臂之力。

　　Lax lending standards in boom times predate the emergence¹⁸ of securitisation by several centuries at least.

　　在金融业繁荣时期实施宽松的借贷政策使得证券化的兴起提前了至少几个世纪。

　　Most structured products performed well through the crisis, with the notable exception of those related to American residential¹⁹ mortgages.

　　大多数结构化产品在经济危机期间仍然表现良好，除了那些与美国住房抵押贷款有关的一些例外。

　　Defaults in Europe remained low despite the recession.

　　欧洲国家的债务违约情况并没有受经济危机的影响而明显加深。

　　And although there are still risks, securitisation should be safer in the future than in the past because of new, post-crisis regulations to reduce the danger of excesses.

　　尽管风险仍然存在，但比起过去证券化在将来应该会相对较安全，因为危机过后重新制定的金融管理政策有利于减小过度放贷的可能性。

　　The principle that the party creating a new security needs to retain some exposure to the underlying²⁰ credit should help ensure that underwriting standards do not get too slack.

　　产生新的有价证券的一方必须保留能证明其潜在信用的相关文件这一条例应该能够确保保险业管理政策不至于太过松弛。

　　That will hamper²¹ the desirable transferring of risk but, given recent history, it is probably prudent²² to put a little sand in the gears.

　　这将会限制风险的直接转移，但是，鉴于之前的经验，防患于未然可能会比较明智。

　　Some of the Kafkaesque structures spawned²³ by securitisation—such as collateralised debt obligations that invested in other CDOs that themselves invested in MBSs—have been made prohibitively difficult to recreate.

　　由证券化引起的一些奇怪结构—例如将债务抵押债券投资到其他的债务抵押债券，而这些获得投资的债务抵押债券本身则又投资到抵押支付债券—已经被限制形成。

　　That is also sensible: whereas simple securitisation should be welcomed back, the over-engineered versions that rendered the financial system needlessly opaque²⁴ should not.

　　这一做法也是很理智的:尽管单纯的证券化回归应该受到欢迎，而那些太过凸显投资者个人利益并会致使金融系统变得迟钝的投资方式则不该受到期许。

　　Europe stands to benefit most from securitisation's return. Lenders across Europe are under pressure to improve the ratio of capital they hold to loans made.

　　从证券化的回归之中受益最大的仍然是欧洲国家。整个欧洲的国家都面临巨大的压力，它们都急需提高资金持有量对贷款额的比例。

　　One way of doing this is to stop extending credit, which is, unfortunately, what many banks have done.

　　解决此问题的途径之一是停止放贷，但遗憾的是，很多银行已经开始这样做了。

　　If they instead slimmed themselves through securitisation, by bundling and repackaging loans and selling them to outside investors such as insurance firms or asset managers, they could lend more money to credit-starved companies.

　　如果它们是通过集中和重组贷款并转卖给外部投资者诸如保险公司或者资产管理公司这种证券化方式来向外贷款的话，那么它们就可以向资金极度短缺的公司以更大幅度放贷。

　　That would have the added benefit of spreading risk away from wobbly banks.

　　这样做的额外好处是可以将风险从经营状况不佳的银行转移到其他地方。

　　Securitisation certainly has a black mark against it, but it is far too useful to be banished²⁵ for good.

　　证券化的回归当然会面临诸多困难，但是它的自身优势使得其不可能被永久弃用。

　　Almost all financial innovations, from the humble²⁶ mortgage to the joint-stock company, have had to re-establish their reputations after a bust at some point in their history.

　　几乎所有的金融改革，从不起眼的抵押贷款到合股企业都曾经经历破产然后重塑形象。

　　Society benefited from their eventual²⁷ rehabilitation—as it most probably will from the revival of securitisation.

　　而等它们最终成功恢复名声，社会将能从中收益—正如很可能从证券化的回归中受益一样。

　　1.claim to 声称

　　Both political parties in america claim to love entrepreneurs.

　　美国两大党派都声称喜欢创业者。

　　America can claim to be tackling its troubled assets.

　　美国也终于可以宣称正在处理有毒资产了。

　　2.give up 放弃；投降

　　But some mountaineers do not give up.

　　但是一些登山家并没有放弃。

　　It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up.

　　这仿佛给他捎来飞鸿，让他不要放弃这一切。

　　3.snap up 抢购

　　Instead, analysts²⁸ believe that motorists view the situation as an opportunity to snap up bargains.

　　分析师反而认为，汽车客户将这一情况视作降价抢购的好机会。

　　Mr tucker also said yesterday that recent market turmoil²⁹ may present opportunities to snap up rivals.

　　1月23日塔克还表示，近期的市场动荡可能提供了抢购竞争对手的良机。

　　4.relate to 有…关系；与…协调

　　Share something I can relate to.

　　分享一些与我的兴趣有关的东西。

　　Cutting costs is not easy: the bulk relate to promises already made.

　　削减成本并不是件容易的事：大部分成本与已经做出的承诺有关。

1 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

2 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

3 recurring   

adj.往复的，再次发生的

参考例句：

• This kind of problem is recurring often. 这类问题经常发生。
• For our own country, it has been a time for recurring trial. 就我们国家而言，它经过了一个反复考验的时期。

4 resurgence   

n.再起，复活，再现

参考例句：

• A resurgence of his grief swept over Nim.悲痛又涌上了尼姆的心头。
• Police say drugs traffickers are behind the resurgence of violence.警方说毒贩是暴力活动重新抬头的罪魁祸首。

5 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

6 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

7 bumper   

n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的

参考例句：

• The painting represents the scene of a bumper harvest.这幅画描绘了丰收的景象。
• This year we have a bumper harvest in grain.今年我们谷物丰收。

8 revival   

n.复兴，复苏，（精力、活力等的）重振

参考例句：

• The period saw a great revival in the wine trade.这一时期葡萄酒业出现了很大的复苏。
• He claimed the housing market was showing signs of a revival.他指出房地产市场正出现复苏的迹象。

9 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

10 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

11 repayments   

偿还，报答，偿付的钱物( repayment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The repayments of the loan are spread over 10 years. 贷款可在十年内分期偿还。
• The repayments of the loan are spread over 25 years. 这笔贷款分摊二十五年偿还。

12 collateral   

adj.平行的；旁系的；n.担保品

参考例句：

• Many people use personal assets as collateral for small business loans.很多人把个人财产用作小额商业贷款的抵押品。
• Most people here cannot borrow from banks because they lack collateral.由于拿不出东西作为抵押，这里大部分人无法从银行贷款。

13 diced   

v.将…切成小方块，切成丁( dice的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The meat should be finely diced for this dish. 做这种菜肴肉必须细细切成小方块。 来自辞典例句
• Arther diced himself into debt. 亚瑟因掷骰子而负了债。 来自辞典例句

14 cursory   

adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的

参考例句：

• He signed with only a cursory glance at the report.他只草草看了一眼报告就签了名。
• The only industry mentioned is agriculture and it is discussed in a cursory sentence.实业方面只谈到农业,而且只是匆匆带了一句。

15 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

16 irrational   

adj.无理性的，失去理性的

参考例句：

• After taking the drug she became completely irrational.她在吸毒后变得完全失去了理性。
• There are also signs of irrational exuberance among some investors.在某些投资者中是存在非理性繁荣的征象的。

17 exuberance   

n.丰富；繁荣

参考例句：

• Her burst of exuberance and her brightness overwhelmed me.她勃发的热情和阳光的性格征服了我。
• The sheer exuberance of the sculpture was exhilarating.那尊雕塑表现出的勃勃生机让人振奋。

18 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

19 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

20 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

21 hamper   

vt.妨碍，束缚，限制；n.(有盖的)大篮子

参考例句：

• There are some apples in a picnic hamper.在野餐用的大篮子里有许多苹果。
• The emergence of such problems seriously hamper the development of enterprises.这些问题的出现严重阻碍了企业的发展。

22 prudent   

adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的

参考例句：

• A prudent traveller never disparages his own country.聪明的旅行者从不贬低自己的国家。
• You must school yourself to be modest and prudent.你要学会谦虚谨慎。

23 spawned   

（鱼、蛙等）大量产（卵）( spawn的过去式和过去分词 )； 大量生产

参考例句：

• The band's album spawned a string of hit singles. 这支乐队的专辑繁衍出一连串走红的单曲唱片。
• The computer industry has spawned a lot of new companies. 由于电脑工业的发展，许多新公司纷纷成立。

24 opaque   

adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的

参考例句：

• The windows are of opaque glass.这些窗户装着不透明玻璃。
• Their intentions remained opaque.他们的意图仍然令人费解。

25 banished   

v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was banished to Australia, where he died five years later. 他被流放到澳大利亚，五年后在那里去世。
• He was banished to an uninhabited island for a year. 他被放逐到一个无人居住的荒岛一年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

27 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

28 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

29 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。